Cleanliness is next to Godliness because it develops in us the discipline that whenever there is something dirty or wrong around us, we will make a conscious effort para tanggalin ito. And that’s what God wants us to do.

Ang tinutukoy ko sa taas ay yung mga taong nag-aassume ng pagkakasala. They don’t just think, because they don’t investigate whether their thoughts are right or wrong. They thought the person’s suffering is his fault due to his sin, and they immediately assume they are right. Hindi kagaya ng mga disciples na nagtanong. The result? They end up judging the person and making rants and giving sermons kahit pa hindi naman nila alam ang sinasabi nila. Sila yung madalas na makita ko, sadly. I just had an encounter with a few not long ago. Ang daming sinabi, naghusga at nagsermon na, kahit hindi pa naman talaga niya alam kung tama ba yung assumption nya. Does it remind you of someone, too? (Sana wala.)

BAD things happen to GOOD people, just like the man born blind and just like Job.

(BTW, did you notice? In the chronology of the Bible, Job’s story happened before Abraham. After Noah the book of Genesis went on to the story of Abraham. Pero sa pagkakasunod-sunod pala ng pangyayari, between the approx. 500 years of gap between The Flood and Abraham’s story is the story of Job’s suffering. At yung mga Chaldeans na sumalakay kila Job ay mga ka-lahi ni Abraham.)

So, why do bad things happen to good people? Only God knows.

He has a reason and purpose, and that is not because He doesn’t love people equally. As for the blind man, Jesus said, “that the works of God might be displayed in him. As for Job, it was written that God allowed it to test Job’s faithfulness and righteousness. And Job actually passed. But his friends doesn’t know this. Sabi ko nga kanina, “only God knows.” It’s sad when people act like God as if they know everything.

Forget the other person you’re thinking of (kung meron man). Sometimes, tayo yun. What must we do? Don’t assume. Let’s just think, but not assume. Let us be quick to hear but slow to speak.

Ang tunay na Kristyano, nakikinig muna. At nakikinig uli. At handang makinig lagi. Pero hindi nagsasalita agad, lalo na kung hindi tayo sigurado kung kailangan. Because when we fail to practice this Real Christianity, sometimes — like Job’s friends — we become the BAD experience to the GOOD people around us.

Early History of Job (Job 1:1-5)Si Job ay yung parang nasa kanta ni Daniel Padilla, nasa kanya na ang lahat. But these verses could be summarized by these descriptions in verse : “he was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.”

BIRTH OF JOB APPROX. 1967 B.C.
Satan Challenged Job’s Character (Job 1:6-12)The truth is, it was the LORD who first mentioned Job to Satan. God was proud of Job. He was sort of bragging about Job. Pero sabi ni Satan, “Sus, akala mo lang…” Then God said, “Subukan mo pa…”

Job Aced The Test (Job 1:13-2:10)The permission was already given and in these passages Satan brought tragedy upon Job’s life. But Job’s reply was remarkable. It is worth remembering that I will quote it again here:

Then he fell to the ground in worshipand said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb,and naked I will depart.The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;may the name of the Lord be praised.”

Job Aided By His Three Friends (Job 2:11-13, 3:1-26)These three are treasured friends of Job. How many of your friends weep aloud when a tragedy strikes you? How many of your friends are willing to do this?

…they sat on the groundwith him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was.

This is the kind of friend we must become. If you want friends as such, be one to others.

THE FIRST ROUND OF SPEECHES
Eliphaz Reproves Job (Job 4:1-11)How I wish Eliphaz remained silent, and remained the kind of friend we idealized a while ago. Yet he spoke. During the 1st verse until the 6th Eliphaz was still honoring Job, reminding how he was the strong one in many times. Kumbaga, siya yung tagabigay ng payo. Reminders are not bad. But Eliphaz went overboard on the 7th verse. He has clearly charged Job of not being innocent. A sad thing if you were Job and you know you’re innocent.

The Vision of Eliphaz (Job 4:12-21)The way he described Eliphaz indeed seemed to have seen a vision. And what he spoke is true. It shows that men are nothing in front of God. His motive for saying this is questionable, though.

The Sin of Sinners is Their Ruin (Job 5:1-7)Eliphaz continues to explain how he sees the sinners get ruined by their own sin. This is the consequence of sin I mentioned earlier as opposed to the Hindu concept of karma. Verse 3 and 4 mentions the curse being experienced even by the children of the sinners. Ours sins are not just ours to carry but for our descendants as well. Unless we lay them all at the foot of the Cross (Isaiah 53).

God As The Perpetual Helper (Job 5:8-16)Eliphaz honors God in front of Job by appealing that his friend implores on God. He mentions how God provides, saves, and gives hope. God indeed is a Lord we can turn to.

“Blessed is the one whom God corrects;so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.”

Job Justifies His Complaints (Job 6:1-30)While Eliphaz made sense and mentioned truths about God and the nature of sin, he missed an important truth which is the real condition of his friend Job. Kumbaga, marami siyang alam. Masyado siyang maraming alam. Pero yung tunay na kalagayan ng kaibigan niya, hindi niya nalalaman o naiintindihan. One can sense the hurt in Job’s words:

“Teach me, and I will be quiet;show me where I have been wrong.How painful are honest words!But what do your arguments prove?Do you mean to correct what I say,and treat my desperate words as wind?You would even cast lots for the fatherlessand barter away your friend.

“But now be so kind as to look at me.Would I lie to your face?Relent, do not be unjust;reconsider, for my integrity is at stake.Is there any wickedness on my lips?Can my mouth not discern malice?”

Commit to the Lord whatever you do,and he will establish your plans. ~Proverbs 16:3

Hindi ba ako nag-commit kay Lord ng mga gagawin ko? Baka. But as far as I know, I did. E bakit nagka-ganon? A few verses down in Proverbs 16 lies a good explanation:

In their hearts humans plan their course,but the Lord establishes their steps.~Proverbs 16:9

That verse has become a favorite of mine sa dami ng pagkakataon sa buhay ko na hindi nasunod ang mga plano ko. It reminds me that He is the one who establishes my steps. That He is the Lord of my life – the One who establishes me. He leaves me with planning and everything, but whenever it is not according to His Will, He overrides my plans. Medyo habit ni Lord yun sa buhay ko. O baka habit ko lang talaga ang lumiko sa plano Nya at tumahak ng sarili kong landas?

Times like this remind me of God’s Sovereignty and the need for me to submit to His authority. My life is His, and so He directs my steps. I make the decisions, yes, but He is the wisdom that guides them. And I praise Him that during emergencies when I need to be interrupted, He does interrupt my plans.

Ikaw, ano’ng mga plano mo ang ininterrupt ni Lord?

May resolution ka na bang nag-fail? Goal na hindi na-achieve?

Times like this, let’s ask God which is the better direction. And I pray we submit to His plan rather than be frustrated in insisting ours.

“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”

This is from ESV which is closer to the original language:

“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”

The truth is I am having difficulty understanding the emphases in the “image verses” regarding this passage. I don’t mind that the emphasis on “grace” and what it means (undeserved kindness) and that we need to remember that it is only by God’s Grace that we can share in His Glory.

But I think that is not the point of this verse here. An exmination of the surrounding verses makes clear that the context is to encourage elders and other believers amidst the suffering that they are going through, possibly as a result of persecution.

The grace of God here is mentioned as a consolation… like a cool water after a dehydrating walk in the heat of the sun. I chose the featured image (along the title of this post) above for the verse because it is the one that’s closest in portraying the message of the passage.

If there is a Truth that is worthy of emphasis in this passage beyond the context, it’s probably the mention that God’s Glory is in Christ! Otherwise, I pray that readers of the Bible would be conscious of the context of the passages they read, and not just swallow whatever interpretation or teaching is given to them.

After all, we are to love God with all our mind (Mark 12:30) and our Bible readings should never be mind-less or care-less. I pray that, in Jesus’ name!

]]>https://m-joel.com/2017/01/05/votd-napansin-mo-ba/feed/01583_640x640simplengkristyanoaaeaaqaaaaaaaawwaaaajdnknmvjnwjhltlkmtmtndbioc1hmtrmltmyyzzmnmzhnjmwma#VOTD: Will You Settle For Less?https://m-joel.com/2017/01/03/votd-will-you-settle-for-less/
https://m-joel.com/2017/01/03/votd-will-you-settle-for-less/#respondTue, 03 Jan 2017 15:02:42 +0000http://m-joel.com/?p=616]]>This verse is very close to my heart. Once upon a time, when I was on the road of agnosticism leading to atheism, nung nagdududa ako kung may Diyos nga ba talaga, someone came up to me and offered a Bible Study.

I thought, “Why not give it a shot,” I am open-minded after all. But in reality I wanted to back out, but a Force was pulling me to go with it. So I did. While going through the Book of John we came to this part in John 14:6.

“I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life!”

People nowadays, especially believers whose worship has become a regular thing, miss the value of these words. For someone who feels lost in all the problems, emotions, and burdens of this world and does not know where to go, it means a lot for Someone to claim, “I AM The Way.”

For someone with so many questions in life, exploring philosophy and science but could not get a satisfactory answer that would put all the confusing things in my life into perspective… for someone who get more questions for each one I answer through philosophy and science, thereby making my life more confusing, it means a lot for Someone to claim, “I AM The truth.”

Para sa katulad ko noon na patapon na ang buhay… for someone who doesn’t know why I should even wake up in the morning and go through the daily routine again, for someone who feels nothing – numb and lifeless like a zombie – it means a lot for Someone to claim, “I AM The Life.”

Needless to say, it felt like I was hit by a tidal wave of emotions. I cried deep inside… a cry of joy!

Oh, finally!

All those longing… all those wandering… and all those ponderings… I lost hope I could even find a way. I never thought there would really be significant truths. I never thought there would be life in my existence. But there came JESUS, making claims that no one ever did, and no one can.

Yet, people usually settle for less.

He said, “No one comes to the Father except through ME.”

He has presented Himself a Mediator for the unreachable God. Yet many still choose to pass by another mediator to Him who is the Mediator. Some people prefer another intercessor to connect to The Intercessor. Hindi naman masama. But is it necessary?

When I was a little kid, probably in kindergarten, I remember seeing someone with a big kit of various coloring materials. You know, the kind that looks like a plastic briefcase tapos pag binuksan mo may set ng color pens (the thick ones and the thin ones too), color pencils, crayons, scissors, sharpener, and even oil pastels. Nung makita ko yun naalala ko I whispered a silent wish na sana magkaroon din ako nun. Just a silent wish. Not even a prayer. I couldn’t ask my parents to buy one because I know we couldn’t afford. I was trained not to ask for things I want.

Years passed. I have forgotten that. Until when I am on sixth grade. A balikbayan auntie gave me a gift. Guess what? It was probably just random for her because she really didn’t know me – that I draw and sketch and somehow excel at that in school. Pagkakita ko agad sa coloring set, nag-flash kaagad sa isip ko yung silent wish na binanggit ko years back. Nakalimutan ko na palang hiniling ko yun noon… but God remembered.

No, God did not forget.

Isang bagay ang tumatak sa isip ko that time, God cares about those little things in my life. It’s amusing to wonder why. But that’s what He is – a God who cares. Even at the littlest details of our lives. Kahit pa hindi ako nag-pray, He still gave it to me. Two things I learned from that which could also be derived from the readings from Noah’s descendants to Abraham’s family: (1) God is concerned about the details of our lives and (2) He is a promise-keeper.

When mankind has forgotten God since centuries have passed since The Flood, God could have destroyed the Earth again. But He made a promise to Noah. At this time wala pa nga namang covenant ang tao with God, pwedeng sabihin ng tao na, “Hindi naman ako nag-promise.” But even though man forgets, God does not.

(Pero that possible thinking of mankind probably led God to choose a man to whom He will make a covenant with humanity. And that leads us to Abraham. But first, we will examine Job’s life who apparently precedes Abraham by a few years or decades.)

Have you ever experienced God’s faithfulness in the small details of your life?

Do you remember small miracles?

Will you count them now and take note how many times God has been mindful of you?

How will you respond to such love and attention given to you?

May you find in your heart the desire to gratify God in all that He has done for you. Amen.

‘Eto yung part na madalas nakakatamad basahin. All those names… nakakatuksong i-skip ng pagbasa. But a reminder for myself and to you: ‘wag tayong magpadala sa tukso! The Bible as a whole is still the Word of God. Walang sayang at walang “tapon” sa Bible. So don’t skip reading all those names… and as you read, pray in your heart as you ask God why He allowed such seemingly dull narration to be part of the Bible.

Obviously hindi siya insignificant. In a historical point of view, ipinapakita nito na totoo ang mga nakasulat sa Genesis 1-11. If the first part of the first Book of the Bible is simply an imaginative storytelling, how imaginative the writer must be! Grabe yung details! I challenge you, find a novel or a work of fiction that can be as detailed as this in terms of family tree. Wala ngang sinabi ‘yung family tree ni Harry Potter dito! And take note of the choice of words (although translated in English) like the ones in parentheses in 9:18 and 10:5. The writer makes a side comment or explanation as if the reader is being connected to a known group that is still existent, if not physically maybe in memory. And the fact that all these is recorded again in Chronicles which is a historical narration, it is beyond reasonable doubt na totoo yung lineages na nakasulat dito.

And kung totoo ang contents ng Genesis 9 and 10, why should the other chapters in Genesis 1-11 be different? The account of Creation, the Fall of Man, the Nephilims, the destruction of the earth and its inhabitants during The Flood, and the Tower of Babel – all these are real events!

What’s the point? People like real stories. People don’t like being lied to. The definition of what is real could be twisted but the bottom line is you want “REAL” stuff. Kahit pa pinipili nang iba na maniwala sa kasinungalingan, ginagawa kasi nilang totoo yun sa sarili nila kaya nagiging “real” pa din sa kanila. Kagaya ng pagbabasa at panonood ng fiction. But let me tell you the deal about Noah and the story of The Flood: IT’S REAL!

“So, it’s true. So what?” Well, if the story is real, its message is undeniably real.

What’s the message?

God is just – may kaparusahan ang lahat ng kasamaan. All sins and evil deserves punishment, yours and mine included. Unless we accept the payment Christ offers on our behalf (what the Ark symbolizes), otherwise we take it on our own.

God is Creator, He has the right to destroy what He created without being mean, bad, or immoral. Kumbaga, ay property rights siya. Kung gusto mong sunugin ang sarili mong cellphone o yung painting na gawa mo, karapatan mo yun.

Pero ito yung pinakamalupit: God is loving and merciful! He could’ve destroyed everything, but He gave another chance to those who call unto Him… in fact to those who believe in Him.

While I love apologetics and the educating people about the logic and rationality of Christianity, I also know that it’s not really the logic and reason that brings someone “back” to God. Kasi sa loob ng isang tao, alam naman niya. He knows who his maker is. He knows he is loved and created. A man can really live a good and decent life without God, as many atheists have proved, but they know deep inside that it is not a life filled with joy and meaning. It is not a life to the full. They may be happy, but they are not joyful.

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

~ Jesus (John 10:10)

Kaya kung mapapansin mo yung readings for today, the line of Cain has started civilizations. Why? Because they’re not fulfilled, and they’re looking for fulfillment. Wala n’yan sa history book, so I understand if you will doubt. Pero kung pagdududahan mo yung information na ‘yun, you might as well doubt the existence of God. Doubt the existence of meaning and reason. At alam mo ba na without God everything becomes meaningless? Even atheists know that.

But even if you analyze world history… textbooks will show you that civilizations began and grow because of the desire and attempts for progress. Naghahanap daw ang mga “unang” tao ng improvement. To improve even if it means they have to raid and attack fellow humans, anyway hindi naman nila ka-grupo o ka-tribo? Why? Because they’re not contented. They’re not fulfilled.

Are you aware of these traps and pitfalls to which humanity have fallen? To which WE (you and I) have fallen? Pitfalls found, ironically, especially in religion?

There is only one solution: repentance. We must walk back to God.

Baka isipin mo, “E si God ang nagpaalis kina Adam at Eve ‘di ba?”

Yes, but like any proud child who has been lost but is too arrogant to admit, Adam and Eve never looked back. Cain even answered back. E ikaw, will you answer back or will you choose to look back?

Turn back to God, and Eden is right there waiting for you. The Father will even run towards you at the first sight of your humility and surrender. And He will robe you with the finest clothes and give you His ring of authority. Choose to embrace His promises!

People usually talk about the “image” they project to others, yung side nila na pinapakita nila sa iba. Yung ibang side na ayaw nating makita ng iba, we keep to ourselves. Pwede kayang tawaging “the dark side” yun? People assume that everyone has that, mainly because they have that. (Kumbaga, yung mga taong nag-aassume na may dark secrets ka ay dahil meron sila nun.) The dark side is yung side na itinatago natin kasi alam nating pangit, but we keep it anyway because we are powerless to transform that side of ours. But are we happy to keep that dark side?

Believing in Creation doesn’t just mean believing in God, it means you believe that YOU are CREATED by God. In His Image. That there’s goodness in you because He created you for that (Ephesians 2:10).

And do you think yung mga edukado na nasa politics at government ay mabuti?

The world gives us confusing and incoherent world views. Contradicting ideas na hindi napapansin minsan. Pero it boils down to that moment na nakaharap ka sa salamin.

What image do you have? Are you created by a good, loving and powerful God? Or are you a product of chance and accident?

Ano’ng image ang gusto mong meron ka?

So God created mankind in his own image,in the image of God he created them;
~Genesis 1:27a

I believe you can create goodness, beauty, compassion, and loving relationships because you are created by a Good, Beautiful, Compassionate, and Loving God who wants to have a relationship with you!

Choose the image you want to carry for the rest of the year and I assure you that only an All-Powerful God can give you the power to destroy your dark side and bring everything in your life into a beautiful Light!

The Pre-Existent Christ (John 1:1-2)This verse is a parallel of the first verse of the first book of the Bible. Genesis 1:1 says how Creation happened. John 1:1 says who was at the beginning before Creation began. Kung Monotheist ka o naniniwala ka sa isang Diyos lang, this should confuse you. “The Word was with God” tapos “the Word was God”? Magkasama sila at pareho Silang God? There are 2 Gods?! But this would be a total contradiction to the Monotheistic culture in which and to which the Book of John was written. This shouldn’t make sense! Unless they could be both God and there is still just One God. If so, this is an exposition of the nature of the God who was there at the beginning before the Creation and who caused the Creation.

The Creation Declaration (Psalm 90:2)This worship-psalm of Moses affirms the Truth that before the Creation of everything, there is already God. And His nature is eternal (from everlasting to everlasting). The universe cannot be formed out of nothing, because you cannot create something out of nothing. Hindi kusang gagalaw ang mga gulay at karne sa palengke para magsama-sama at maging sinigang na baboy o nilagang baka o tinolang manok. Una sa lahat, kung may ingredients ka, may something na. Pero kailangan ng magluluto. Kailangan ng Creator. And Moses was clear to point that to the eternal God. Only an eternal being can be there.

The Origin of Creation (Genesis 1:1)“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” ‘Yun na! Self-explanatory!

Satan Cast Out of Heaven (Isaiah 14:12-17, Ezekiel 28:13-19)In Isaiah, the passages refer to “the king of Babylon” which, from context could be a prophetic reference to the coming conqueror that time who would attack Judah who was the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar. The descriptions of the events in Isaiah 14 fits Nebuchadnezzar too! Yet the mention of “morning star” to refer to “the king of Babylon” can also be translated as “Day Star”. The original Hebrew word used was hêlêl (הֵילֵל) which means the morning star: — lucifer . Lucifer means “light-bearer” and is definitely the name of Satan. Why is Satan included in the beginning and during the Creation? Ezekiel 28:13 says Lucifer was there in Eden, in the garden of God. Although the context of Ezekiel 28 refers to the “King of Tyre”, the LORD speaks as though referring to being who was there in an event way before the time of Judah’s exile… way back to the time when Eden was just created. God through Ezekiel was speaking of a guardian cherub who was thrown to the earth, descriptions matching that of Lucifer. Could God be speaking of Satan who come in the form of the possessed King of Babylon and the King of Tyre? Search your heart and ask God what this means. But this exposes another truth about the Creation, that evil isn’t God’s creation. Evil was born when an ordained cherub’s heart became proud and wanted to be like God. Evil comes forth when we replace God in our hearts.

Judgment of Creation (Genesis 1:2a)“Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep…” Can you imagine this? Science would make it difficult for you to do so. For the scientists have their own theories that have populated our media. Yet God gives this picture to the author of Genesis. Imagine a dark and empty kitchen. How can it be brought to life?

A Bible scholar pointed out that the first 3 days of Creation was like a preparation of the canvas, and then from the 4th to 6th day God went back to each of those canvas and filled them one by one – the canvas on the 3rd day filled with the land animals and, eventually, of man. This is what probably what God through Isaiah said that He created the earth to be inhabited. The kitchen was not made to be empty. It was made so that food can be prepared and man can be served.

THE SIX DAYS OF CREATION (NOT 7)

1st and 2nd Days (Genesis 1:2b-8)Light was God’s first creation. Day and night was first created. Darkness is not a creation, God only created light. And from its separation from darkness, day and night came to be. Then the sky which is the vault or space between the clouds and the seas.

3rd Day (Genesis 2:5-6; Genesis 1:9-13)Dry Ground or land was created, and then vegetation was produced when “streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground.”

4th, 5th, & 6th Days (Genesis 1:14-26; Genesis 2:7)The canvases were filled: lights were created in the sky to separate the day and night, the sky above was filled with birds and the waters below were filled with living creatures, and then the land animals and mankind on the last canvas.

Creation of Man in Detail (Genesis 5:1; Genesis 1:27)We are created in the likeness and image of God. And when it was added that we were created male and female, this does not mean that God is “male and female” but that we were created (1) for relationship, (2) with the ability to pro-create (3) in union with one another.

Creation of the Woman (Genesis 2:18-25)Marriage was inherently instituted by God the moment He created mankind as male and female. This was explained in detail in Genesis 2 when it was retold that the woman was actually created to be a suitable helper for the man. Verse 24 specifies that the woman is meant to be the man’s wife and they are to “become one flesh”.

Names Given (Genesis 5:2; Genesis 3:20)We were named “Mankind” or ’âḏâm (אָדָם) in Hebrew when we were created by God. Then, “Adam named his wife Eve”. Why? “Because she would become the mother of all the living”, or so Adam declared. Note that this declaration or “naming” happened after the punishment for “The Fall”. Adam’s claim of authority over the woman by naming her is actually an act of rebellion to God.

Man’s Dominion Over Creation (Genesis 1:28-30)Still, despite of “The Fall”, God did not remove the dominion he has given us over His creation. If you meditate on this verse, maiisip mo na may karapatan tayo na pumutol ng puno at kumain ng hayop. But dominion also includes stewardship or careful and intelligent use. But still, we can. When man’s laws call the “killing” of animals “inhuman”, you can tell it is a confusion of the original design of God in the Bible.

Seventh Day Established (Genesis 2:2-3; Exodus 20:11)
This is why we must remember that creation was only in 6 days, because the 7th day is for rest. Man was not created just to work, we were created to rest. You have that longing deep inside, to simply rest. And so we work, but still we must rest. As God modeled to us, because He doesn’t really need to rest. But He needed to show us how to rest. And that ultimately, we must rest in His Presence.

The Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:8-17)God has given us everything we need, as in the Garden of Eden. But how do we thank Him for His graciousness? Do we obey Him? Do we consider Him our Lord? May we not fall repeatedly into the same sin Adam and Eve has fallen into. God has even provided with an “Escape Plan” for us – the Cross of Christ. May we accept this gift with all our heart!